Best settings for strobe effect time-lapse FS700

[Niels Neeskens]

Do you guys have some tips for getting the best strobe effect time lapse with the FS700?

Thanks in advance
Niels

[Alister Chapman]

Could you clarify what you mean by strobe effect time-lapse?

[Niels Neeskens]

I mean the motion blur light streams from moving cars for example.

[Alister Chapman]

To achieve that effect with the FS700 you would use S&Q motion set to 1fps. Then manually set the shutter speed to "1". This gives a shutter speed of 1 second which give the headlight blur and the camera shoots 1 frame every second, so creating a time-lapse sequence.

[Niels Neeskens]

Thanks for that Allister.

[Niels Neeskens]

The recording is going to be at night till noon, so a lot of changes in light. I will be shooting trucks leaving a company to go to clients. So any tips for that?

[Alister Chapman]

Your going to have to add ND as you go from night to day, so you'll have to babysit the camera and there will be a couple of moments where your going to have to edit segments together. I'd use auto iris to help smooth out the day to night transition.

[Matt Davis]

Yes, the 1fps S&Q mode with 1 second exposure is pretty good for 'quick and dirty' timelapse, but if you're looking for impressive light streaks, it's not quite there - and yes, the exposure balancing can be tricky.

Might this be an occasion to use an appropriate tool such as a DSLR with intervalometer, which will allow you to shoot with aperture priority and variable exposure time, with enough time between exposures to allow for your longest shutter exposure (say 4 seconds at night). So you're taking an f4 exposure every 5 seconds, during the day it's something like 1/250th to even 1/2000th somewhere hot and sunny, but as light fades, the exposures draw out and you begin to get your 'light sweeps'.

So, over 6 hours, 1 30p frame every 5 secs will get you a 2 minute 30 second clip you can choose the best bits out of, then with all the action isolated you can speed it up to fit your desired duration (my secret tip).

I really hope the EX1's timelapse function and 'Slow Shutter' will find their way onto the FS700 some time. In my little niche, I use timelapse on every assignment - slomo hardly ever. So I still keep the DSLR handy on most jobs.

There's also a great Adobe LightRoom script to soften the flicker between exposures.

And also, don't forget you can shoot wide and then do a 'Ken Burns' within your 3000x2000 pixel movie to give a 'motion control rig' look.

[Niels Neeskens]

Great info guys! Thanks for that!

Cheers